hey so it’s march now aka the beginning of endometriosis awareness month and i feel obligated to remind you that debilitatingly painful periods are not normal. if you or someone you know is ending up sick or bedridden every month, you are not crazy and deserve medical attention from someone who will take you seriously
hey it’s march again let’s get this post circulating again
hi hey I’m here to tell you that right now I’m experiencing my first painless first day of my period in like … maybe my life. I’m turning 30 at the end of the month and I have had painful periods ever since I was 14. I was diagnosed with endometriosis ad 27. At that point, I had debilitatingly painful periods for half my life!
I had endo surgery twice (the second was minor) and even though I don’t know currently whether I’m completely endo-free (the good doctors are outside of my country, apparently), I did a lot of different things to manage my inflammation and stress and I feel very confident in my cycle and no longer look towards my periods filled with dread.
things that helped me deal with endometriosis pain, besides surgery, both long term and short term:
- taking magnesium pretty much every day (look for the right kind!) and a quality (look for activated B-vitamins) multivitamin pack a couple of times a year. Endo will suck your nutrient stores dry because it is an illness that literally makes your body work harder.
- I got very much into herbalism and I drink nettles tea, red raspberry leaf tea, and use a whole lot of other herbal teas and tinctures. it’s amazing, and nowadays there is lots of accessible information out there. no, herbs won’t cure you. Yes, herbs will improve your quality of life when you know which ones to use. and yes, often using herbs in teas and tinctures is better than using isolated compounds in supplement form. get in touch with a trained herbalist or look for a good book on herbal remedies for the cycle. (the one I know and use is in Dutch so I’m not sure how much use it is here)
- linked to that but deserves its separate mention: CBD (&CBG) oil. CBD is a powerful anti-inflammatory and endometriosis is an inflammatory illness. look for the quality kind and choose the broad spectrum one (the one that is darker, more bitter; it’s less refined and contains more plant materials. this is more beneficial, in my experience). CBD is currently being researched for its anti-inflammatory properties in different illnesses and also specifically for pain in endo patients. I believe it’s promising.
- I used hormonal contraceptives for 3 years while bridging the gap from monthly exorcism-like pain attacks with writhing and vomiting to, well, now. I didn’t plan on stopping at any point when I started using the NuvaRing, but 2 years of suppressing my cycle helped me to set up the right habits and incorporate the abovementioned herbal remedies into my lifestyle, because I did not have those 10 days of absolutely energy draining pain. no shame in taking medication if it helps more than it hurts (which at the end of the 3 years it didn’t anymore, so I quit)
- eliminate stressors. I cannot tell you how much of my physical symptoms went away, gradually but surely, at times where I gained more mental peace and eliminated emotionel stress. leaving my parents’ house after years of no privacy or emotional support was the first, getting a stable job after a couple of years of job-hopping was another. As I gain more self confidence, I have less general anxiety and that way less inflammation, less stress and better digestion.
Like I mentioned above, I thought and think of my teenage periods as exorcisms. I was bullied in school, had no privacy at home and did not learn to express my emotions verbally. Emotional stress is stored in the pelvis. any qualified yoga teacher will tell you this. (see also the point about yoga.) Endometriosis causes a lot of symptoms in the pelvis. If you cannot eliminate the second, at least try to minimize the first.
- fixing my blood sugar. no, I’m not diabetic. yes, blood sugar balance matter when dealing with hormone-related conditions. make sure to eat enough protein with breakfast and eat that breakfast within an hour of waking up/getting out of bed. This was something that for a long time, I thought I was doing right, but wasn’t.
- eating lots of veggies and fruits. Again, something I though I was doing but actually wasn’t. I now try to eat a serving of veggies with each meal (no, I do not always succeed but it’s what I aim for and it makes a difference) and two servings of fruit per day at minimum.
- yoga, physical therapy and massages. I know, when you are having a pain attack the last thing you want to hear is probably ‘have you tried yoga?’ strenghtening your core will take pressure away from your pelvic floor. learning good posture will benefit digestion and bowel movements. getting sweaty regularly helps elimination estrogen which is vital with endometriosis. stretching the hip flexors will release tension from the pelvic and lower back area. rotations help with digestion. getting a professional massage of the tissues in my lower and upper back is super duper relaxing.
yoga, physical therapy and massages help me breathe better which is great for digestions, stress management and oxygen flow.
My soul sister and friend IRL Jenna Longoria (aka the Period Guru) is hosting a Masterclass for Period Solutions.
If you have painful periods or have been diagnosed with a period-related condition like endometriosis or PCOS, I highly recommend that you start following Jenna (@jennalongoriahealth on Instagram) and take this Master Class.
I have personally been working with her over the last 4 months with some of my hormone imbalances, and her awareness of all things hormones is unparalleled. I believe hormone health is something that is not well-understood or supported by standard medical practice, and much of the suffering is quite unnecessary. Jenna’s website is linked below.
Hope you are all in good spirits and undeterred by this current climate. Xoxo Nikki
Mom, along with some other amazing women in the Houston area, have been working hard to launch the Endometriosis Foundation of Houston. The mission of @efhou is to raise awareness of endo, educate people about the disease, and help women advocate for better care. Give us a like on Facebook and Instagram! #fluffypantsdaily #efhou #endometriosis #himalayan #persian #catsoftumblr #catsoftumblr #catsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo4giXoAn7Y/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=s0aviqtonejd
Once upon a time this shirt was loose on me, and now it’s a crop top and I don’t give a fuck. ♀️ . . . . . . . . . #selflove #smile #selfie #plussize #minions #momlife #spoonie #scars #endometriosis #pcos #weightgain #selflove #fat #fatandbeautiful #plussizemom #motherhoodunplugged #motherhoodunfiltered
When it comes to starting a family, the media makes it appear as if getting pregnant is the most simple process in the world. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 6.1 million women have trouble getting pregnant or staying pregnant. On average, for a healthy woman with no fertility issues, there is approximately a 25-30 percent chance of becoming pregnant per…
When you’re a little kid- even one with a chronic illness, everyone always asks that question… you know what I’m talking about. What do you want to be when you grow up?
I always wanted to be a lawyer. For years, I always would answer with utmost certainty that that’s what I wanted. I knew it from the bottom of my soul. It made sense since I loved arguing. I loved attention, and I…
This is my 3rd? Or 4th period off hormones this time around and it’s already making me so sick I have diarrhea and vomiting and the pain is making me moan and cry which is literally something I never do with pain. At 35 I’m now so angry when I think back on all the doctors that told me this was ‘normal’ that dismissed me when I told them I would vomit or pass out in the street from the pain. That never even considered endometriosis as a possibility until I figured that out myself in my late twenties. 25 years of this interspersed with hormones that have made me sick, made me more disabled and at times severely affected my mental health and my relationships around me. At 35 I still feel like I’m no closer to getting this treated. I’m still not being offered the surgery available to most other severe endometriosis sufferers due to concerns with my connective tissue disorder. Before surgery is on the cards I have to try an IUD which comes with its own risks and by most accounts is also extremely painful for people with Ehlers Danlos (and also sometimes even those without that diagnosis). Stumbling out of the bathroom this morning I moan that I guess I have to give it a try. I’m desperate once again. Already. I guess I’ll try anything. I’m done with hormones though. They’re not worth it and too disabling day to day. The difference is stark despite the increased suffering of having periods. I’m doing much better now, hours later. The pain is 'tolerable’ again (as in I can think to type and I was able to hold down a little food and liquids). I’m so thankful and relieved I wasn’t alone today. M looked after me in the early hours as I alternated between toilet, bed and hot bath crying and yelling and eventually vomiting that signature green bile (and my most expensive meds ). Odin brought me the toy I give to him when I put him to bed when he’s feeling bad. MaoMao stayed in bed with me with her incredibly worried expression. Endometriosis is absolute hell and no person should have to live through this. I’m exhausted but angry that we are forced to live this way for so long and gas lighted over our pain tolerance & coping methods. But I’m loved by so many around me ❤
Endometriosis—the struggle is real. Killer cramps are NOT normal. Periods that last longer than 7 days are NOT normal. Heavy bleeding that soaks through a tampon every 2 hours is NOT normal; pain during sex is NOT normal. Bouts of diarrhea and vomiting that accompany every menstrual cycle are NOT normal. No, no, and no! For many people, this reality is just endometriosis at work.
Sad truth: Many of us are taught to downplay these symptoms. Our pain is diminished by parents, siblings, friends and even health care professionals who convince us that everyone goes through this.
Maybe that is why, according to the Endometriosis Foundation of America, it takes 10 years on average to receive an accurate endometriosis diagnosis. That’s a decade, people! That’s 130 periods of agony, 912 days of someone asking you to take Advil and suck it up. That…is not okay.
Endometriosis is pervasive. It affects 1 in 20 Americans of reproductive age and an estimated 176 million people worldwide. It occurs when tissue similar to the endometrium (the lining of the uterus) is found outside the uterus on other parts of the body.
There are lots of symptoms that can vary among patients. Pelvic pain is most common, as well as pain that coincides with menstruation. Other symptoms include heavy cramps, long-lasting bleeding, nausea or vomiting, pain during sex and, unfortunately, infertility. Some people may even experience symptoms throughout their entire cycle—a real drag.
In addition to these physical symptoms, endometriosis takes a toll on someone’s personal and professional life. Chronic pain can severely affect quality of life day-to-day; medical care can be extremely costly. Furthermore, absenteeism can alter relationships in the workplace and at home.
Despite the intense discomfort, many people do not realize they have endometriosis until they try to get pregnant. And because the disease tends to get progressively worse over time, approximately 30-40% of people who have endometriosis experience fertility challenges.
There is no simple diagnostic test for endometriosis—no blood, urine, or saliva testing can confirm the condition. The only way to verify endometriosis is to undergo a diagnostic laparoscopy with pathology confirmation of biopsy specimens.
On the bright side, many endometriosis symptoms— including infertility—can be addressed after diagnosis. The gold standard for endometriosis treatment is laparoscopic excision surgery. This involves a careful removal of the entire endometrial lesion from wherever it grows.
The first step to getting there is recognizing that your pain is not normal and seeking timely intervention. The earlier endometriosis is detected and treated, the better the results. Tracking your symptoms will make you better informed for your next doctor’s visit, and set you on a path to better (and less painful!) menstrual health.
This is SO IMPORTANT. It took me 23 years of horrific periods and masking the condition with nearly every hormonal birth control under the sun, tens of doctors dismissing me and telling me to go away and take the pill, and my own mother on my second ever period (as I screamed and cried) telling me ‘it’s just like this for our family, it’ll go away when you have a baby’ (I was NINE years old), before I shouted NO MORE and finally got to see a gynecologist. One of my periods (off birth control) was so horrendous that I vomited bile in the street after being kicked off a bus for being ill (I think they thought I was either ON drugs, or withdrawing) - that was after being sent home from work for being 'clearly contagious’. Many a period have made me actually pass out, let alone the week leading up to them where my colon painfully freaks out. There are many more symptoms I experience but they are mostly covered in the original post. If any of this sounds familiar, demand to see a gynecologist. It is NOT okay to live like this, and regardless of how many other women you listen to talking about their painful periods, yours are far worse, please don’t try to downplay your own experience and think that what you go through is what they’re talking about; it’s not. Even if female GPs have told you some women are just 'unlucky’ or however else they like to brush it off, please don’t take that as an answer. You deserve that referral to a gynecologist to get checked out and get a proper line of care.
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Why is it that we sometimes expect others to treat us a certain way so that we can “feel good”. . .
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Love up on ourselves the way we want others to love up on us! Tell ourselves wonderful, beautiful, POSITIVITE & AFFIRMING things in the mirror, the way we Want others to do for us! . .
✨This will do something #magical ✨ . .
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im young yet my body feels rotten and wasted like it’s already decaying ready to just become dust. i hate being pointed out that im young as if that means i must be perfectly healthy. i hate feeling like my body has failed me and im not like others. i hate my body and i hate myself
I recently discovered I have uterine fibroids. Constant pain, and two week, heavy, and painful menstruations were beginning to interfere with my training, and with life. It’s similar to endometriosis, except the (non-cancerous) tumors are within the uterus, instead of around it. At least I have answers, and know how to move forward. This, along with endometriosis, is very common among women, but for some reason, we don’t talk about it. I hope those facing it will find this platform helpful, supportive, and a safe space to speak and ask questions freely. I will post more as I continue throughout this process. My love to all those going through it, but still managing to get through the day. Y’all are going to survive the apocalypse. #uterinefibroids #endometriosis #womenshealth
I made these last month in preparation for March being Endometriosis Awareness Month, and they are also part of a project I’m working on for more things to put on the walls at the doctor office/hospital in game. Some of them I did in Simlish.
It is estimated that 10% of women worldwide suffer from this painful chronic disease, and can affect anyone who owns a uterus.Read more & please don’t hesitate to DM/Ask if you have questions, or go to www.reddit.com/r/endo (If you or someone you know suffers from debilitating periods, there could be something more going on. Spread the word. Raise awareness. )
26 swatches | found in wall art | 3 simoleons
Start typing the item name into the search query in build mode to find quickly. You can always find items like this, just begin typing the title and it will appear.
I think one of the things about living with chronic pain is that you just… forget other people don’t. You forget their days aren’t marked by which body parts the pain is worst in that day, which rituals they’ve gone through to try to ease it, which tasks they think are manageable through the haze of pain. And sometimes you begin to ascribe some type of meaning to the pain, even though you know it’s senseless. Even though you know all you can do is endure it. This isn’t some story where the pain is an allegory for something else that can be defeated in the end. It doesn’t stand for some greater evil. It’s not something that will go away when you learn to love and accept yourself. You can get therapy, you can find love, you can finish whatever quest you set out on, and you’ll still be in pain. I don’t know how to explain the exhaustion that holds.
As a person who suffers with anxiety, I’m accustomed to being heightened or on edge when the wrong elements hit me a certain way.
Last night, my endometriosis flared up something vicious. Depending on the pain level, I can move around with it or curl up into a ball and submit to the pain. While doing IG stories creating this dish, I refused to call it quits.
It’s been 10 days since my family ceased work and school – my norm is shaken. Every time I think I’m adjusting to the required changes, something disturbs my adjustments and I want to rebel – and so I continued cooking.
When I cook, I am reminded to pace myself, breathe and every step counts. It is a therapeutic and scientific act that requires attention and patience. Surely I felt the dull pains tap against my body bit it felt damn good to not lose another thing that this quarantine is taking away from me.
I’m restricted in movement but not my art. Finding my wins wherever I can earn them.
Last night’s dinner: Teriyaki Glazed Salmon | Roasted Kale | Sauteed Asparagus | Tri Colored Couscous in Asian Spiced Broth
Hello, I’m looking for research participants for my dissertation on chronic pain. If you have chronic pain and a spare fifteen minutes or so I’d love it if you could check the above survey out.
@thebibliosphere would any of your followers be able to help out with this?
It is a feeling you can’t describe, you just know that words like “stabbing” aren’t enough. You lay there hoping that it will at least slow down enough to continue with life, little things like taking a shower. If you could record what you feel and show it to your doctor, you would at least know that they have it clear that a heating pack and Tylenol aren’t enough.
You try everything to clam the pain down, even things that seem like won’t work, I mean you can try a potato on a blender with kale if you know there is a chance. You want anything to help because you want to feel alive once again.
Pain kills you slowly, maybe not physically but you aren’t who you were, and looking back at old pictures and thinking of the past makes you see that.
You are weak at times and the fatigue is often too real, so much that even reaching for water might seem like too much of an effort.
You just want to cry because you want nothing more than to have a life and not make your loved ones see you like that, not having to cancel things or even postpone school or career for you to lay there in pain.
When I woke up from a coma on December 2011 I noticed that I started getting daily pelvic pain that wouldn’t go away, something that felt like cramps. I was stricken with the pain and thought it was odd that it got worse right after waking up from the coma, I mean I did get horrible cramps before but only around the days that I would get my period, even if I didn’t get my period I would still have my pain but it wasn’t daily like it was happening now. To me it wasn’t normal and I fought doctors non-stop, until 2013 when I got diagnosed with Endometriosis. I never told my doctors that I had my pain escalate right after the coma, but I always thought maybe something happened to me that changed my body a bit or made me more sensitive to pain, but at the same time I wasn’t sure so I always kept it to myself. Now that it’s been a couple of years after I got diagnosed and been through surgeries and other treatments I have noticed a change in pain patterns by keeping logs.
-For starters when I was a young teen I would get SEVERE cramps when I was on my period or days around it -After the coma it was daily on the right side mainly -Daily pain on mornings and night but not as much after noon to four -Now it’s on both left and right and it’s severe in the mornings and at night but sometimes it slows down a lot, like I have no pain, but comes back once a day to get revenge on me.
I mean I don’t know if it’ll get better over time or worse, all I know it’s that it has been changing, and I don’t know if I am the only one.
People think I’m lazy, when in reality I know it’s the pain.
I feel guilty when I don’t meet the expectations that other people have of me.
It is something that I wish I could change because when flare ups come the day feels like a waste.
It is hard to explain to people that go through the same as I do, it’s even harder to explain it to others who might not know you or know about living with chronic illness and pain.
I wish I could answer the question “how are you?” with honesty, but I can’t.
My Endometriosis pain was increasing and spreading, I was so desperate for help, so I told my primary I was ready for her to renew my referral to go see my OBGYN. while that was happening I had some concerns that I talked to her about, for one it was the increasing pelvic pain, kidney pain, and a vaginal discharge that I have never seen before. She told me the discharge was normal, that the kidney pain was not kidney pain and it was just probably something else, and that it was just my Endo to not worry.
Three days later I call her because I feel like I have a gallon of water and worms in me, I was in so much pain that I could not move. She did a urine test (yes that is all) and she said I had a UTI, which she gave antibiotics for, she told me to just go back in a couple of days for a pap smear as well, which I did, that day she says I also have a vaginal infection and gave me more antibiotics. I was actually pretty fucking sick, and I called because I felt like maybe the infection was spreading or something! She asked me to go back and she did another urine test, then her office called with the results, no infection to stop the antibiotics that I had left because it was them doing a reaction.
I was happy I was ok in that front, then I went to my OBGYN and we decided to try the IUD before another surgery, he scheduled the appointment and when I went in to get the IUD he asked if I had any infection because he saw some discharged, and I explained that I had but I had antibiotics for it, that my primary had said I was already good to go. He puts the IUD in me and the son of a bitch hurt! Still I was hopefully that THIS will finally help me!
The very next day I have the follow up with my primary and I let her know that I had an IUD place the day before, that I was hoping that will minimize the pain. I mentioned to her that I did have that kidney pain still, which she wanted me to go to physical therapy for, but I was not convince and told her that I did not want to until she did a scan of my kidneys because I had kidney stones in the past and the pain felt similar to that. She was upset, but still sent me to do another urine test and a CT. Later that same day I get a call from their office saying that I had another UTI, I was speechless and told them that it could not be because I was cured from it a couple of days ago! Still they did not seem concern, and I decided to call the OBGYN to let them know I had a UTI and asked if that would affect the IUD and increase of infection, they also ignored me and said just to take my antibiotics and I would be fine to not call unless I had a discharge.
When I went to pick up my meds I saw they were the same ones she gave me last time that she made me stop, I told the pharmacist, they said to just take them. I took them… later that week I felt BAD and had some discharged so I called the OBGYN, they told me to come in. He told me my cervix was swollen, that he did not know why, that I probably had an STD or something because that is the only reason that happens, he took a swab and asked me if:
1. I wanted to wait to see what happened until I saw him in a couple of weeks
2. remove the IUD, which he did not recommend
3. Give me stronger antibiotics to nip it in the butt and not affect the IUD.
I agreed to his suggestion, which was the antibiotics.
The very next day I felt like I was DYING I had NEVER felt anything of the sort before. I was dizzy, fatigued, the vaginal smell was HORRIBLE, discharge, and just an overall sick feeling, pain that I could not move. I went to the ER and they gave me so much morphine because I could not stand the vaginal examinations, they had to try and numb me as much as they could.
The ER doctor asked me for the name of my OBGYN and I told him, he looked like he was in a hurry, then he came in and I see the nurse give me IV fluids and medications, and he tells me that I have to stay in the hospital because my infection was getting worse, that he saw puss in my vagina and that it just did not look good. Later he then came back and said my OBGYN and the OBGYN in the hospital wanted to take the IUD out.
Later I learned the the IUD did make my infection worse… I was advice by the nurses in the hospital to never go back to those doctors, because they also found out that the reason I got a bad infection wasn’t only the IUD but the fact that it was placed in without proper sterile instruments. I was honestly super upset! Still I am… That kidney pain by the way was because the infection was already in the kidney, so yeah it was not kidney stones, but I was right that it was my kidney… If I had not gone to the ER and would have waited as they wanted me to I would have ended up with severe damage or even death.
So if you want to get an IUD make sure that the doctor and nurse wash their hands before putting gloves on, because mine did not, and for them to not only test you for pregnancy before but also for any infections you might have, only you know your body!
